HOOK ’EM HORNS—Bevo XIV, the University of Texas Longhorns’ mascot, enjoys a balmy January afternoon at Hummingbird Nest Ranch in Simi Valley on Wednesday. The 2,000pound steer had a short stay in Simi before his big appearance at last night’s college football national championship game between Texas and the University of Alabama in Pasadena. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers Even under the cloak of darkness Tuesday evening, the burnt orange Longhorns trailer was clearly visible as it exited the 118 Freeway at Kuehner Drive.

Turning toward the mountains, the custom air-conditioned hauler made its way up the long drive to Hummingbird Nest Ranch, the multimillion-dollar equestrian estate nestled in the hills on the eastern end of Simi.

Inside the wagon stood precious—and heavy—cargo: University of Texas mascot Bevo XIV.

After four days and 1,400 miles, the longhorn steer was ready to stretch his legs and put his hooves on Southern California soil. His four handlers—all UT seniors—led the cow out of the trailer and into one of the ranch’s grassy corrals. No stranger to the road, the 7-year-old bovine looked calm and content.

His journey to California began Jan. 2 on a ranch just outside Austin, Texas. And although the pampered and beloved cow hadn’t come to the Golden State to vacation, the ranch’s luxurious accommodations likely lived up to his standards.

No, Bevo was on business this week. He’d followed his Longhorns team to its BCS National Championship game against the University of Alabama—a matchup that played out on the field of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena last night.

Prior to kickoff, Bevo spent most of his time at the ranch. The 140-acre facility is owned by Texasbased billionaire David Saperstein, whose son Jonathan is a senior at UT and president of the Silver Spurs, a student service organization responsible for the care and transportation of Bevo. It was Jonathan who was responsible for bringing the mighty animal to Simi.

“There’s not a lot of places that are set up like this,” he said. “There’s not a lot of people up here, it’s very secluded, it’s close to the game . . . so it just worked out well.”

The Texas longhorn has been UT’s mascot since 1916, and Bevo XIV is, as his name implies, the 14th steer to hold the position. Since he was just 2 , Bevo has spurred on his college football team from the sidelines, attending every home game and some away games, too.

Whenever one steer retires, a new one is selected, and the current Bevo had proven himself at a young age.

“He was a national champion as a 2-year-old, so he’s a perfect steer,” Saperstein said.

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and the tan-and-white speckled Bevo, who weighs in at a whopping 2,000 pounds, is no exception. His menacing horns measure 73 inches tip to tip.

But while the sharp, curving horns may be a disconcerting sight for some—UT’s rivals, in particular—Bevo is nothing more than a gentle giant.

“He’s very docile,” said Warren Wallace, one of Bevo’s handlers. “He’s got a very nice personality. He’s a very well-behaved steer.”